


Moons and Suns and Sacrifices

by newt_scamander



Category: American Gods (TV), American Gods - Neil Gaiman
Genre: M/M, Magic, Muslim Character, Spells & Enchantments, Unrequited Love
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-06-24
Updated: 2017-06-24
Packaged: 2018-11-18 13:27:57
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,208
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11291610
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/newt_scamander/pseuds/newt_scamander
Summary: The Arabic I used in this fic is translated from google. I apologize if it's incorrect!ن أن يكون حقيقيا؟ - "can it be real?" (Salim to the Jinn)وجدت لك أخيرا، ضوء حياتي - "I finally found you, light of my life." (The Jinn to Salim)أنت القمر من حياتي. - "you are the moon of my life" (Salim to shadow)ا تبكي، أشعة الشمس - "sunshine" (shadow to salim)القمر - "moonlight" (Salim to shadow)





	Moons and Suns and Sacrifices

**Author's Note:**

> The Arabic I used in this fic is translated from google. I apologize if it's incorrect! 
> 
> ن أن يكون حقيقيا؟ - "can it be real?" (Salim to the Jinn)
> 
> وجدت لك أخيرا، ضوء حياتي - "I finally found you, light of my life." (The Jinn to Salim)
> 
> أنت القمر من حياتي. - "you are the moon of my life" (Salim to shadow) 
> 
> ا تبكي، أشعة الشمس - "sunshine" (shadow to salim) 
> 
> القمر - "moonlight" (Salim to shadow)

Shadow wasn't sure when he fell in love with Salim. It was sometime after Salim stopped to pick him up in the middle of a snowstorm and had happily driven for three hours to Eagle Point, and sometime before the Jinn had showed up and taken Salim out of his bed and out of his life. Forever. 

Shadow's life was not exactly on the up and up when he found Salim. He was running away from a whole pantheon of gods, mourning the loss of his leprechaun boyfriend and trying to avoid arousing suspicion. He just wanted to get away from all of it. 

Salim on the other hand, was rather eager to get back into it. He had a partner, a lover. A Jinn, apparently. And he didn't grant wishes. 

"I have to get back to him. He is my soulmate, my afterlife." Salim insisted one night while he was washing the dishes. 

Shadow looked up from the hall closet where he was organizing. "I'm sure you will." He promised, tucking the vacuum into the closet. 

Shadow couldn't help falling in love. His heart still ached for Mad, of course it did, but when he looked at Salim and watched him talk about his family or his adventures driving the taxi, his chest got all tight and his face got warm. Salim was just too good. Too pure and kind. And Shadow knew he was neither, try as he might.

He felt like he could be good, sometimes. When Salim crawled into bed with him and cuddled against his chest he felt good. He felt helpful. He held Salim all night, keeping the nightmares of his brother in law at bay. 

But he wanted Salim to be happy. Truly happy. And he would do whatever it took. Because he loved Salim. 

He started looking for the Jinn. Scanning pages of text of summoning ifrits and myths about places the frequented. He visited cryptid webpages, reading through accounts of first hand interactions to pinpoint the last time a Jinn with olive skin and dark hair had been seen. Finally, he came up with something. A spell for summoning Jinn. He just hoped it would work.

He had to wait until Salim was out of the house grocery shopping. He locked all the doors in the house and went his bedroom, closed all the windows and straightened the curtains to keep out all but the light from his candles. 

He said the incantation, lit the candles and carefully wrote Salim's exact description of the Jinn on his mirror with a tube of black lipstick. He pulled Salim's sweater into his lap and requested that the Jinn present himself and be bound to the sweater. Finally, he blew out the candles and wiped off the mirror. He hoped and prayed to whichever god would listen that Salim's Jinn would show up. 

When a few days had passed and nothing happened, Shadow felt an uncomfortable weight settle on his chest. He wanted Salim to be happy. What would it take?

Salim walked out of his bedroom, wearing the green sweater for the first time since the spell and moved to sit on the couch next to Shadow. Suddenly, the door bell rang. 

"I've got it!" Salim said, jumping back to his feet. He walked over to the door and pulled it open. "Can I help- هل يمكن أن يكون حقيقيا؟" 

""لقد وجدت لك أخيرا، ضوء حياتي." The answer was in Arabic and Shadow only understood the last part, but he could figure it out. It was the Jinn, returned. 

Salim jumped into his arms, happy tears streaming down his face. "I have missed you." He said. 

"And I you." The Jinn replied, holding him tight.

"How are you here?" Salim asked. "Oh- it doesn't matter- you're here now!" He sighed, kissing him passionately. 

"I am here now, and forever. I am yours, Salim." The Jinn promised. 

Shadow got up then, and left the living room. He didn't want them to hear him. He laid down in his bed, smelling Salim on his sheets and his pillows and all around him and the dam broke. He let out a sob, trying to bury his face in the pillow to mask the sound. 

Am hour or so later Shadow heard a knock at his bedroom door. He'd stopped crying but he still felt shaky. He wanted Salim. But he couldn't have him. 

He got up and opened the door. "Yes?" 

Salim was beaming, holding the hand of the fire eyed fucker that was taking Salim away from him. "Shadow, this is my Jinn." Salim said. 

"Nice to meet you." Shadow said tightly. 

"You are the one who summoned me, yes?" The Jinn asked. 

Shadow nodded shortly. "Yeah. Salim missed you." 

"I did." Salim flushed, leaning into the Jinn. 

"Thank you for bringing him to me. Salim, go get your things." The Jinn suggested. 

Salim hurried off and Shadow stood dumbstruck. "Are you going somewhere?" He asked nervously. 

"Home. He wants to see where I came from." The Jinn smiled. "I can't thank you enough." 

Shadow nodded, praying his emotions wouldn't betray him. "No problem. He's sweet. Take care of him." 

"I will. Thank you, again. Are you ready, Salim?" He asked as he emerged from his bedroom, a duffel bag packed. 

"I am. We can leave in a moment." He promised. 

"Wonderful. I'll take your bag and you can say good bye." The Jinn suggested. 

"Thank you. I'll be out in a minute." Salim promised, passing his bag to the Jinn and turning to Shadow. "Shadow, I can't thank you enough. You were a beacon. Of hope and happiness. You kept me safe." He said, tears filling his dark eyes. "أنت القمر من حياتي".

Shadow felt his throat tighten. "لا تبكي، أشعة الشمس". He insisted, pulling Salim to his chest. "You have your life now. Your Jinn will care for you now. But you'll never leave me. Not really. I'll keep you here." He promised. "In my heart, understand?" 

"And I will keep you in mine." Salim promised, burying his face in Shadow's chest. "I must go, before I start a torrent. I love you, Shadow Moon." 

"And I love you, Salim." Shadow said softly. "Go to your Jinn now."

Salim nodded and pulled away before turning back, pulling shadow down and going up on his tiptoes. He kissed Shadow delicately, sweetly. "Remember that." He urged, hurrying out the door. 

Shadow would remember it. His fingers went to his lips as he walked back to his bedroom, disbelief clouding his emotions. He heard the car pull out of the driveway though, and it made his chest burn. He cried himself to sleep, holding a pillow tight to his chest. 

When he opened his eyes, Salim was there, smiling at him. "Why do you cry, ضوء القمر?" 

"Because you left." Shadow whispered. "You left this morning." 

"Of course I didn't. I would never leave you." Salim moved against him, kissing him softly. "That was just a bad dream." 

Shadow sat up, looking around the room. He found it to be empty once more and he settled back into his bed, sobbing openly. He had lost his sunshine, and there was no getting it back.

**Author's Note:**

> For my bbg, as always. 
> 
> Also Ricky Whittle. Love you boo. 
> 
> Come say hi on tumblr!  
> shadowsalimnsweeney.tumblr.com


End file.
